Folding-machine



W. J. BEATTIE.-

FOLDING MACHINE. I

APPLICATION men SEPT- s, was.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.,

4 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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W. J. BEATTIE.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-6,1918.

1,389, 1 17. Patented A g- 30, 1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W. J. BEATTlE.

FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-6, I918.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.,

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3 Ill IIIII "I IIIHIiII -II w. J. BEATTIE. FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT-6,191 8- 1,3a9, 1 17, Patented Aug. 30,1921.

4 SHEETSSHEET 4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WALTER J. IBEATTIE, OF COI-IOES,

NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO THE IBEA TTIE MANUFAC- TUBING COMPANY, or conons, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION on NEW Y FOLDING-MACHINE.

To all to 7mm itmay concern a Be it known that I, WALTER J. BEATTIE, a citizen of the United States, residing .at Cohoes, county ofAlbany,and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in]- Folding- Machines, of which the following is a specification; I 7

Reference may be had to the accompanying drawings, and the reference characters marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. Similar characters refer to similar parts in the several figures therein.

This invention relates to machines of the general type shown in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,167,329, granted to me January 4, 1916.

Certain objects of the invention are to simplify the construction and manner of operation; to economize ln'the use of the electric current in the operation ofthe machine, and to facilitate various movements and adjustments for adapting the machine for various uses.

Other objects will appear in connection with the followingdescription.

Figure l of the drawings is a view in front elevation of a folding machine embodying my invention. 7 p i Fig. 2 is a View in elevation of the righthand end of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a view in rear elevation of the same. i

Fig. i is a plan view of the machine with the die-head removed.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-section of the same taken on the broken line 5-5 in Fig.

1, viewed from above. V

Referring to the drawings wherein the invention is shown in preferred form, 1 is the frame of the machine, and 2 is abed,

upon which the blanks are placed to be folded, which bed is vertically movable in an opening in the top, 3, of the frame.

A templet, 4, cooperates with the bed while the edges of the blank are inturned over the edges of the tcmplet by means of infolders, 5 and 5 movable inwardly and outwardly over the bed. The templet as well as the infolders may be of any known form.

For certainpurposes I prefer to employ a templet which is automatically expansible and contractible bymeans of aneccentrieally-connected link, 9, in substantially the manner shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 972,320, granted to me October 11, 1910, for folding machines. As this Specification of Letters Patent. 7

Application filed September e, 1918. Serial No. 252,871.

Patented Aug. 30, 1921.

rocker upon which the die-head is adjustably mounted by means of the slidable'arms, 39, whereby the die-head can be readily ad usted transversely of the bed of the machine. r i

Set-screws, 41, serve to lock the respective arms, 39, in adjusted position.

The die-head carrying arms, 39, are provided with trunnion-bearings, 42, and the die-head is provided with trunnions, 43; mounted in said trunnion-bearingswith capacity for rocking and longitudinal adjustment therein. I

Set-screws, 44, serve to secure the diehead in fixed adjusted relation to the arms, 39. i

. The rocking adjustment thus provided for the die-head makes it easy for the operator to secure the accurate flat engagement of the die with the blank on the be The longitudinal adjustment of the diehead thus provided enables the operator to centralize the die upon the bed of the machine even though the die be more or less unsymmetrical.

I have shown two infolders, 5, arranged along the rear of the bed adapted to fold the rear side and neighboring corner portions or end portions of the blank.

Arranged along the front of the bed, I. have shown two infolders, 5 adapted to fold the front side and neighboring corner portions or end portions of the blank.

The rear infolders, 5, are movably connected by means of a bar, 10, preferably fixed to one of said infolders and slidably mounted in the companion infolder, each of said infolders being engaged by an eccen trio, 11,- operated by suitable mechanism whereby the infolders can be' moved inwardly and outwardly, and toward and from each other in the manner set forth in U. S.

Letters Patent No. 1,071,677, granted to John Maitland and myself August 26, 1918.

The front infolders, 5 are separately operated as shown in Fig. 1, each by means of two eccentrics, 11, 11, the eccentric, 11*, imparting to the whole infolder both longitudinal and transverse movement.

The eccentric, 11 is so made and ar ranged as to permit unrestricted longitudinal movement of the infolder the eccentric 11, but said eccentric, 11 ,'acts as a cam for in'iparting inward transverse movement to the neighboring end of the infolder.

It will be noted't'hat the front edge of the blank for the folding of which themachine shown in Fig. f is adaptechis concaved or incrnwech: which form ,of blank presents greater difiiculties in folding than straight or'convexed edges. V

It is therefore d irable to impart't'o that portion of the infolders which infoldsuch concaved edge of the blank a greater inward movement than is necessary for other parts ofthe infolders.

3y having the eccentric. 11, act merely as a cam without restricting the longitudinal movement imparted tothe infolder by the eccentric, 11 i am able to-impart to the inner end of the infolder an inward transverse movement substantially greater than that imparted tc'the outer end'of said infolder by the eccentric, 11; t

As is customary, the infolders are mounted upon foldn-bloclrs, 1 1, but except for convenience of manufacture and replacement it is immaterial whether the folderblocks, 11, and the infolder-plates, 5, 5, are made integral with, or separate from, each other. i P V i i l have shown cam-followers, 15, adjustably mouu'ed by means of screw-and-slot connections upon the respective folderblocks, 11, said cam-followers being engaged by the respective eccentric cams,-il1".

A return or outward movement of the canractnated ends of the infolders is caused by coil-springs, 16, connecting the respective ii'oldcr-bloclrs, lei, with the frame of the machine or with the eccentric shafts, as shown in F 1 which springs serve to hold the (hm-follower 15, in contact with the respe ,:tive cams.

As a ire-ferred means for operating the infolders through the medium of the eccentrics 1 rotatively mount upon the frame of the machine in fixed relation to the eccentrics, pinio-ns, 20, adapted to be engaged by toothed-racks, 21, 22, capable of longitudina-l slidin movements through slideways, 23. 24, on the frame of the machine,

1 thus provide a separate toothed-rack, 21. for each front infolder, 1%, which rack engages the pinions, 2-0, on both the eccentric, 11", andeccentric-cam, 11

nected by a bracket, 12, with the upper end of a lever, 18, which is fulcrumcd at 25 upon the mainframe of the machine, and which has mounted thereupon a cam-follower, 26, adapted to be engaged by a cam, 27, to cause an outward movement of the respective racks, 21.

These cams, 27, are carried by a plate, 28, fixed upon the core, 29, of a solenoid, 30, and when the solenoid is energized an upward movement is imparted to the core, 29, and the plate, 28, which causes the cams,'27, to engage and force outwardly the cam-followers, 26, and levers,18, thusforcing the respective racks, 21 outwardly and'operating the eccentrics, 11 and 11 i The plate, 28, has also mounted there upon cams, 13, which when the solenoid is deenergized are brought by the downward movement of the plate, 28, and the core, 29, into engagement with the outer sides of the cam-followers, 26, thus causing an inward return movement of the levers, 18, and an inward return movement of the racks, 21,

, The pinions, 20, in fixed relation to the eccentrics, 11, for operating the rear infolders, 5, are actuated by similar toothed-racks, 22, reciprocatory in slideways, 24.

Reciprocating movements are imparted to the toothed-racks, 22, from the respective toothed-racks, 21, at the front of the ma chineby means of levers, 31, at'the, respective ends of the machine, each of said levers having a swiveled slide-connection, with the front rack, 21, and the rear rack, 22, at the neighboring end of the 'machine, and being fulcrumed' at 33, iutermediately of said swiveled slide-connections.

This lever is preferably provided with an operating-handle, 34, whereby the infolders at the neighboring end of the machine can be operated by hand independently of the,

infolders at the other end of the machine.

The infolders are thusadapted to be simultaneously operated by the prime mover such as the solenoid, 30, while in setting up the machine and adapting it for different forms of blank the infoldersat one end of the machine can be operated by hand independently of those at the other end of the machine, which is a great convenience.

The fulcrum, 3,3, ofeach lever, 31, is corried by a split-post, 35, which is slidablv mounted upon a cross-rod, 36, upon which it clamped in adjusted position by a setscrew, i

This permits the lever and its fulcrum to be shifted with relation to its swiveled connections with the racks which are actuated by it, so that the relative movement imparted'to the front and rear racks can be varied from time totime as desiredby adjustably moving the'fulcrum block along the supporting cross-rod, 36, thus enablingtheope'rator to impart greater or' less relative arcs of movement to the respective eccentrics.

The cams, 27, are separately adjustably mounted upon the plate, 28., by means of screw-threaded stems, 45, on the respective cams which project down through and are longitudinally adjustable in slots, 46, in said plate, the cams being secured in adjusted position by means of nuts, 47 on the respective screw-threaded stems.

By this adjustment, I am able to regulate the timing of the operation of the infolders at one end of the machine relatively to those at the other end ofthe machine.

Downward movement of the die or templet, 4, toward the-bed is caused by outward movement of the upper end of a lever, 48, fulcrumed at 49, on the main frame of the 'machinewhich causes said lever to engage the rocker-arm, 40, and thereby to operate the die-head-supporting frame, the return movement of said die-head-supporting frame being caused by a coil-spring, 50.

The lever, 48, is provided intermediately of its ends with a cam-follower, 51, which is engaged by a cam, 52, carried by the plate, 28, whereby when the solenoid, 30, is energized and its core, 29, and plate, 28, are moved upwardly the thrust of the cam, 52, upon the cam-follower, 51, forces the lever, 48, outwardly and through the rockerarm, 40, forces the die down upon the bed.

The cams, 52, and 27, are so located and arranged that this descending movement of the die is accomplished before the inward movement of the infolders begins.

After the edges ofthe blank have been inturned over the edges of the die by the inward movement of the infolders, said inturned edges are pressed between the infolders and the bed, 2, by an upward movement of the bed which is resisted by brackets, 58, fixed upon the frame of the machine overhanging the respective infolders.

' The bed is thus raised by means-of two levers, 54, fulcrumed at '55, upon the frame of the machine, and each carrying two ad justable screw-bolts, 58, adapted for engagement with the neighboring end of the bed.

The inner ends of these levers, 54, extend approximately to the center of the machine where they overhang a nut, 56, adjustably mounted upon a plunger, 57, vertically reciprocatory in a slideway in the top of the housing, 60, for the solenoid, 80.

The lower end of this plunger, 57, eX

tends down within the solenoid in position to be engaged by the upper end of the core, 29, so that as the core is moved upwardly it engages and forces upward the plunger, 57, thus raising the inner ends of the levers,

54, and causing the screw-bolts, 58, to en gage and raise the bed.

To prevent sliding wear of the screwbolts, 58, upon the bed, I lnterpose between each screw-bolt and thefibed a rocker,59, through which the thrust of the screw-bolt is transmitted to the bed.

Coil-springs, 61, connecting the outer ends of the bed-raising levers, 54, with the frame of the machine serve to counterbalancethe weight of said levers,a nd to that extent relieve the solenoid, in the pressing operation.

The solenoid, 30, is energized at the will of the operator by the supply of electric current through a mercury switch, 62, one of the terminals, 63, of which is movable into and out ofthe mercury bath by means of a rod, 64, pivotally connected at itslower end with a rocker-arm, 65, fixed upon a rock-shaft, 66, upon which rock-shaft is also fixed a treadle, 67, the switch being closed by depressing said treadle.

Return, movement of the rock-shaft, 66, is caused by a coil-spring, 68, connecting an arm, 69, on said rock-shaft with the frame of the machine. 2

The levers, 18, are connected together by means ofa coil-spring, 19, which tends to draw said levers together and assists in accomplishing the return movement of the infolders.

The operation of the machine is as follows:

i A blank is placed upon the bed with its edges overlying the edges of the infolders. The operator then depresses the treadle, 67, closing the switch, 62, whereby the solenoid 30, is energized causing the core, 29, and the plate, 28, to be raised carrying with the plate, 28, the cams, 27 and 52.

The cam, 52, first engages the cam-follower, 51, forcing the lever, 48, outwardly against the rocker-arm, 40, and causing the die or templet to descend upon the blank on the bed.

With continued upward movement, the core, 29, causes the earns, 27, to next engage the cam-followers, 26, forcing outwardly the levers, 18, and thereby moving the infolders inwardly to inturn theedges of the blank over upon the templet or die.

The continued upward movement of said core next brings the core into engagement with the plunger, 57, causing upward movement of the bed whereby the inturned edges of the blanks are pressed between the bed and the infolders.

When the treadle 67, is released the switch, 62, is automatically opened thereby deenergizing the solenoid, 30, whereupon the core descends relieving the pressure on the bed, permitting the levers, 18, tobe forced inwardly by the action of the coil-spring, 19, and the cams, 13, carried by the plate, 28, the final return movement of the core withdrawing the cam, 52, from engagement with the cam-follower, 26, permitting the templet to be raised by the spring, 50.

While I have shown cams in the form of eccentrics, 11, for accomplishing inward movement of the inner ends of the front infolders while permitting unrestricted longitudinal movement of the infolders by the eccentrics, 11 I do not wish to be limited to the particular construction shown, because for certain purposes of the invention any cam or equivalent mechanism may be employed which will impart to the neighboring end of the infolders the desired inward movement while permitting the unrestricted longitudinal movement of the infolders by the eccentric, 11 or the like.

I have shown a hook-shaped strap, 70, overhanging each of the eccentrics, which strap prevents accidental upward movement of the eccentrics; while by swinging the strap to the position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4 the eccentric is uncovered and can be readily removed.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a folding-machine and in combination, an infolder; an eccentric connected with said infolder to impart inward longitudinal movement to the whole infolder and transverse movement to one end thereof; and

means engageable with said infolder at one side of said eccentric for imparting to the neighboring end of said infolder a transverse inward movement greater than the transverse inward movement of the other end of said infolder as the infolder is moved longitudinally inward, said means permitting unrestricted longitudinal movement of the infolder by said eccentric.

2. In a folding-machine and in combination, a pair of infolders; an eccentric connectcd with each of said infolders to impart longitudinal movement to the whole infolder, and transverse movement to the outer end thereof; and means engageable with said infolders between said eccentrics for imparting to the inner end of each infolder independently of the other infolder a transverse inward movement while permitting unrestricted longitudinal movement of said infolders by said eccentrics.

3. In a foldingmachine and in combination, a pair of infolders; an eccentric connected with each of said infolders to impart longitudinal movement to the whole infolder and transverse movement to the outer end thereof; and eccentrics for imparting to the neighboring ends of the respective infolders transverse inward movement while permitting unrestricted longitudinal movement of said infolders by said first-mentioned eccentrics.

i. In a folding-machine and in combination, means for pressing a blank including a movable blank-engaging member; a reciprocatory plunger having a screw-threaded portion; a nut adjustably fitting the screwthreaded portion of said plunger; means engaged by said nut interposed between said nut and said blank-engaging pressing memoperated by said prime mover; and separate hand actuated mechanism for each infolder whereby each infolder can be operated by hand independently of the other.

6. In a folding-machine and in combination, a plurality of movable infolders; a solenoid having a movable core; a plate carried by said core; a plurality of cams separately adj'ustably mounted upon said plate; and means engaged by said cams for moving the respective infolders.

"7. In a folding-machineand in combination, a plurality of movable infolders; eccentrics for moving the respective infolders; toothed racks and pinions for operating the respective eccentrics; a prime mover; a member actuated by said prime mover; a plurality of cams separately adj ustably movable upon said prime-mover-actuated member; and means actuated by said cams for moving the respective toothed racks.

8. In a folding-machine and in combination, a plurality of movable infolders; a lever having an adjustable fulcrum; separat'e connections between said lever and the respective infolders including with respect to each infolder a swiveled member slidable longitudinally upon said lever.

9. In a folding-machine and in combination, a plurality of movable infolders; eccentrics for moving the respective infolders; toothed racks and pinions for operating the respective eccentrics; a lever having an adjustable fulcrum, said lever being in swiveled longitudinal slidable engagement with said respective toothedracks.

10. In a folding-machine and in combination, a main-frame; a bed; infolders; a die; a die-head-carrying frame movably mounted upon said main-frame; and a die-head rockably mounted upon a longitudinal axis upon said diedread-carrying frame.

11. I11 a folding-machine and in combination, a main-frame; a bed; infolders; a die a diehead-carrying frame movably mounted upon said main-frame; and a die-head mounted upon said diehead-carrying frame, said die-head being capable of a longitudinal movement of adjustment transversely of said frame and having means whereby it can be secured in selected adjust-ed position.

12. In a folding-machine and in combination, a main-frame; a bed; infolders; a die; a die-head-carrying frame movably mounted upon said main-frame; a die-head mounted upon said die-head-carrying frame with capability of longitudinal slidable adjustment transversely of the frame; and means for securing said die-head in fixed adjusted relation to said die-head-carryinq frame.

13. In a folding-machine and in combination a main-frame; a bed; infolders; a die; a die-head.-oarrying frame provided with trunnion bearings; a die-head having trunnions mounted with capacity for rocking and longitudinal adjustment in said trunnionbearings; and means for securing said diehead in fixed adjusted relation to said diehead-carrying frame.

. 14. In a folding-machine and in combination, main-frame; a bed; a die movable toward and from the bed; infolders movable inwardly and outwardly over the bed; a solenoid having a movable core; a cam-carrying plate mounted upon said core; a cam carried by said plate for causing the die to descend upon the bed; a cam carried by said plate for moving said infolder inwardly; and

means whereby a continued ,movement of j said core causes a pressing movement between said bed and infolder.

In. testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 4th day of September, 1918. WALTER J. BEATTIE. 

